This time of year we all start thinking about fall - apple picking, football games, raking leaves, and that epitome of teenage angst, the Homecoming dance.

One of the rules you learned early on was that once you accepted an invite to the dance, it was in very poor taste to decline and go with someone else. I don't care if that someone else was tall, dark, and handsome, captain of the varsity basketball team and a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, it was just something you did not do.

Which reminded me of Oracle's latest announcement yesterday of their Exadata Version 2 machine. With their Exadata Version 1 system they had collaborated with key partner HP. They quickly proceeded to drop their allegiance to HP like a hot potato, joining forces with Sun for greener pastures while the acquisition is in the works.

Oracle gave no details supporting the performance claims in the announcement. Larry Ellison went to the dance with John Fowler; we'll have to wait to find out exactly why.

************************************************
The postings on this site solely reflect the personal views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views, positions, strategies or opinions of IBM or IBM management.